


Advent Calendar

by sushicorps (Inclinant)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Presents, This is so sappy, Warning: Sap, happiness, joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 19:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8858356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inclinant/pseuds/sushicorps
Summary: “...It’s an advent calendar,” Yuuri explains as he places it down on the table. Viktor steps up and runs a hand along the smooth surface of the elaborate set of giftboxes, each carefully wrapped and nestled in their own compartment, with a number painted next to them, clearly handmade. “Is this...for me? For Christmas?”Yuuri flushes and ducks his head.“It’s for your birthday too. It’s on Christmas, isn’t it?”





	

It hits him while they’re eating dinner, a quiet affair spent slowly tucking into a simple spread of vegetables and lightly pan-fried mackerel, exhausted from the grueling training practice of the day.

 

“Yuuri…!” Viktor exclaims, launching himself over the low table to grab Yuuri by the shoulders and starts shaking him wildly for good measure.  

 

Yuuri just flails, utterly bewildered.

 

“E-eh, Viktor? Wha-” 

 

Viktor stills and stares very seriously into the other’s eyes for all that his inner mental voice is all on sirens and alarms and crazily beeping alerts because He. Did. Not. Just.  _ Forget- _

 

It’s stress from the being separated during the Rostelecom Cup; it’s the stress of the upcoming Finals; it’s the stress of the questions that had been plaguing him from when he caught his reflection staring back at him on a cold airplane window from Russia to Japan…

 

But that’s all no excuse.

 

“...Your birthday.” 

 

He mumbles finally and slumps back. “It was yesterday, wasn’t it? I’m sorry, I forgot-”

 

Yuuri blinks, then frowns and reaches up to straighten his glasses.

 

Then he actually starts laughing and Viktor frowns at him. Yes, the training is hard and the stress from the Finals are no doubt taking a toll of Yuuri, but he’s come so far in so short a time and he is stronger and braver now-

 

“Viktor,” Yuuri says, between laughs and actual _ tears _ , “It’s oka-”

 

“No,” He says back defiantly because it is totally  _ not.  _ “It’s not okay-”

 

“Viktor,  _ please- _ ”

 

“I can’t believe I forgot-”

 

“Viktor-”

 

“I’ll make it up to you-”

 

“Vik-”

 

“I’ll get you anything you want, I promise, I-....Yuuri?”

 

Yuuri is doubled over on the table in laughter now and...to say Viktor is completely confused wouldn’t even quite cut it.

 

He has absolutely no clue what is going on. Isn’t that a familiar feeling now.

 

But see, literally just a couple of minutes ago, Yuuri had pretty much been like a silent zombie picking at his food, movements slow and eyes downcast...

 

...Actually, Yuuri had been so quietly lately, at practice, at home, at meals, at night- 

 

In fact, just last night, he swears Yuuri had actually been trying to _ avoid  _ him, brushing him off when Viktor had tried to intercept him after dinner, like the fact that he had kept retreating and locking himself into his room the moment they finished dinner for the entire past week hadn’t been enough. 

 

It had to be because of this, right? If not...well, if not, Viktor really didn’t know what to do anymore.

 

“Viktor, don’t you remember? You already gave me my birthday present-” Yuuri says finally, taking deep breaths to regain his composure and then looking up at him with a bright, if slightly hesitant and embarrassed smile.

 

It’s enough to make Viktor still, thoughts that had been tripping over themselves coming to a halt.

 

“I...I didn’t...when?” He asks finally, still baffled. 

 

“When I flew back…” Yuuri starts, then he flushes. “Uh...and...you said-”

 

He ducks his head. “You said you would be my coach forever.”

 

“That doesn’t count-’

 

“Yes it does!” He snaps, slamming his palms down onto the table and shooting up from his seat. The dishes jump and the clatter that follows seems to startle him, but Yuuri doesn’t shrink away, not anymore.

 

“I don’t care what you say now,” Yuuri takes a deep breath, balling his hands into fists on the table top.

 

“To me, from the very day that you came, you’ve been a gift to my life, Viktor.”

 

He raises his gaze, dark brown eyes shining with a determined light that Viktor’s never seen before, but it’s a soft and radiant light, a sight so beautiful Viktor feels his breath lift and catch in his chest.

 

“You’re the best birthday present I could ever wish for,” Yuuri smiles and reaches up to tilt Viktor’s chin down into a kiss.

 

It’s awe and astonishment that is coursing through his veins and drumming through his mind, the starting sparks of red hot passion thrilling down his spine, it’s been so long and it’s so rare that Yuuri is so sure and yet sweet, in the way that only he can, and Viktor is sure that he can feel the beginnings of a light heat across his cheeks-

 

Then Yuuri’s face goes completely red and he actually faceplants into the table before Viktor can stop him.

 

“I...I can’t believe I said that,” He groans, throwing his arms over his head to hide himself even as Viktor tugs at him, laughing out now, freely and genuinely.

 

“C’mon Yuuri, you can’t do something like that and just stop-”

 

“Yes I can!”

 

“Yuuriiii-”

 

“It’s so embarrassing-”

 

Viktor stills, leaning back into Yuuri’s side. “I was really happy though, to hear you say that.”

 

He watches as Yuuri lifts an arm and peers at him. “...Really?”

 

“Of course,” Viktor says and feels the edges of his lips lift into a smile that mirrors the one that has crept onto Yuuri’s face unnoticed.

 

“Now…” He twists around, pushing Yuuri down onto the tatami mats and pinning him there in one smooth motion, one arm curled around Yuuri’s head protectively. 

 

“Let me give you a birthday present anyway.”

 

* * *

The thing is, Yuuri is still avoiding him.

 

Aside from their practices at the rink and meal times, Yuuri is barely around, always hurrying off whenever Viktor calls him and giving vague excuses as he does so.

 

It’s driving him crazy.

 

They’ll be flying to Barcelona in less than five days and Yuuri still isn’t really talking to him, and his family and friends and everyone else are being equally cryptic.

 

Earlier, Yuuri had just shovelled his dinner down and then vanished into his room, leaving Viktor alone again.

 

“What if he doesn’t love me anymore,” Viktor pouts at Makkachin who just stares back at him, clearly uninterested in the affairs of his master’s hearts. Then he gives a loud woof and settles down on his haunches, tail wagging, in his classic pose to ask for a treat.

 

“You don’t care about your owner at all,” He scolds lightly but reaches for a treat anyway and tossing it to the overgrown poodle.

 

He’s being overly dramatic, he knows. Yuuri must be undergoing a lot of stress right now with the upcoming Finals, no longer only having his own expectations to grapple with, but with the renewed expectations of his nation and….Viktor himself.

 

He stares at the row of posters of himself rolled up in the corner. He had had to spend two whole days convincing Yuuri to take them down from his room walls because it was simply too weird doing it with his face plastered all over the walls - “It’s like I’m watching myself”, “Well, usually you like that-”, “Yuuri, what are you suggesting!”, “Nothing, nothing! I’ll take the posters down!” or so the conversation had gone anyway.

 

The thing is, he really doesn’t know what Yuuri must be going through. He had never cared before, only bothered about living up to his own standards with his own strength, which were so far up above the rest anyway that any other expectations from others simply became a matter of fact.

 

He isn’t sure what he can do for Yuuri now and that is what is scaring him the most.

 

A knock.

 

“Um, Viktor?”

 

He flies to the door and opens it. 

Yuuri is standing in the doorway, shuffling from foot to foot, a nervous look in his eyes and an apprehensive smile on his face. In his hands, is a large, flat, darkwood box with smaller flaps on them, each labelled from one to 25.

 

“...It’s an advent calendar,” Yuuri explains as he places it down on the table. 

 

“Wow…” Viktor mumbles, running a hand along the smooth surface of the wood. It’s clearly handmade….was this was Yuuri had been so busy with the past few days?

 

“We don’t celebrate Christmas back in Russia so- I’ve always been fascinated by them since young, but I suppose as a child, who wouldn’t love presents?” He catches himself before he can ramble on and seeks out Yuuri’s gaze that is turned uncertainly away, catching his hand to turn him to him.

 

“Is this...for me? For Christmas?”

 

Yuuri nods slowly, glasses slipping a little down his nose.. “Yes...do you…”

 

He looks up, teeth teasing his lower lip apprehensively. “Are you happy with it?”

 

“Of course I’m happy, Yuuri, I’ve never received one for Christmas before! Well, I mean Chris did give me one one year, but that only had chocolates in them so-”

 

Yuuri frowns, annoyance creasing his brow for a second. “It’s not something like that-”

 

“Of course not,” Viktor says reassuringly, draping an arm around Yuuri’s shoulder to crowd both of them around the large box and pressing a kiss into his hair. “It’s a present from you, after all.”

 

Yuuri flushes and ducks his head.

 

“It’s for your birthday too. It’s on Christmas, isn’t it?”

 

“Yuuri…” Viktor starts, but no words follow and the rush of emotions is like a waterfall that stops all other thoughts. So he just reaches out again and draws Yuuri in, burying himself in the other’s soft hair.

 

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Yuuri.”

 

“Won’t you stay with me tonight?”

 

* * *

The first few gifts are simple: chocolate bonbons laced with a touch of sake that he winds up feeding to Yuuri in the end with delicate kisses, a handphone charm with little sakura flowers on them that he puts on his phone, a little keychain of Hasetsu castle complete with a little ninja in front that goes onto his travel bag.

 

He brings it to Barcelona with him, of course, and while Yuuri sleeps, completely wiped out from the jetlag, he opens the tenth day to see a simple envelope.

 

_ Something round and golden _ , the paper inside reads and Viktor knows this has to mean the gold medal of the Finals.

 

He wishes it were something else though, he thinks to himself as he tucks the paper by a small box in his suitcase, thinking of the similar round and golden item inside.

 

It’s wishful thinking, Viktor knows. It’s too soon; he’s nowhere as important as the Finals right now; there’s a thousand and one reasons he can think of.

 

He looks back at Yuuri who is still dead to the world on his bed and smiles sadly, before glancing over at the brochure advertising the hotel pool. Well, that’s certainly one way to clear his thoughts.

 

Later, haloed by the amber lights of the cathedral and in the chilly winter night, it turns out that it’s exactly what he wished for anyway.

 

* * *

 

On the day of the Finals, the paper reads:

 

_ I’ll skate for you. Not for a medal, not for myself, but for you. _

 

So Viktor tucks the paper into his suit pocket, kisses Yuuri’s ring and sends him into the rink for his final free programme segment.

 

And when Yuuri skates back to the Kiss and Cry, he’s there for Yuuri to collapse into his arms and hold him through the night.

 

* * *

The gifts that follow as they settle back in Japan are mostly simple - mostly, because as Viktor finds out on a very memorable 15th and 16th day, where a Christmas red collar for Makkachin wound up followed by a plain black leather band that perfectly matches Yuuri’s hair.

 

There’s more chocolates - “I couldn’t figure out how to fill some of the boxes up,” Yuuri explains sheepishly - and a set of photographs of the both of them that Viktor frames. One day has a royal blue silk tie, another a coupon for a lifetime’s supply of Yutopia katsudon (served by one Yuuri Katsuki), and a maroon scarf in yet another.

 

He asks Yuuri every time he opens the box for a new day what he wants for Christmas, but Yuuri just skirts the question, telling him that Viktor’ll know when Christmas comes.

 

It’s on the eve of Christmas that he finally receives a present that he’s not quite sure what it is.

 

“Yuuri,” He asks, rolling the small, smooth tube in his hand. It’s solid, looking like it has been carved whole from a light wood, with etchings at the bottom that seem familiar but the characters are too stylistic for Viktor to make out. 

 

Yuuri had been strangely nervous the entire day too, hovering around him and constantly pestering him to ask if he’d opened the box yet.

 

“What is this?” He asks, holding it out.

 

Yuuri’s face is very, very, suspiciously, very red.

 

“It’s a...it’s a…”

 

“Yuuri…”

 

“It’s a hanko!” He blurts out.

 

“A...hanko?”

 

“It’s like an official stamp we use here, like a signature! Usually you get it made yourself or by a family member, but I...kind of went ahead to custom order one for you. O-of course you can go make one by yourself, I mean, it’s not registered, so it’s not official, but uh-” Yuuri coughs and takes a long drink of his tea, looking away and cup shaking in his hands even as he laughs nervously.

 

“It...follows the style my family’s used for generations so…I thought….”

 

“Oh,” Viktor says, looking at the little round wooden tube in a new light now. 

 

“Yeah…” Yuuri lets his voice trailed away, hiding a little behind his cup.

 

“You still haven’t told me what you want for Christmas, Yuuri, it’s already the eve,” Viktor pleads, changing the subject.

 

“You’ll know, Viktor. You’ll know.”

 

* * *

Christmas morning in Hasetsu dawns on a windy, misty day, with a light dusting of snow on the tops of the trees.

 

He hasn’t been this excited for Christmas since he was a little kid. 

 

Viktor takes the last box out of its holder and stares at the small velvet box, wrapped in a golden ribbon. With bated breath, he slowly unravels the ribbon, takes out the slip of paper he finds inside and reads it.

 

And then he knows.

 

He knows what Yuuri wants now; he knows what he’ll give to Yuuri for his Christmas present.

 

It’s a windy Christmas morning in Hasetsu as Viktor Nikiforov opens the door of his room to where his fiance is waiting for him and walks into his new life with Yuuri by his side.

 

* * *

 

_ Vitechka, will you marry me? _

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> I tried with the title. I also tried catching Yuuri's birthday and Christmas but considering I did not succeed with the first and am unlikely to do so with the second, I'm throwing this here anyway.
> 
> Also written in a horrible rush because I am half asleep and have a flight to catch and now I will promptly proceed to freak out.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> find me on [tumblr](http://sushicorps.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/sushicorps/)


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